Six-month trial program seeks to speed test turnaround times and increase patient safety
Hospitals around the world are increasingly employing drone services to deliver laboratory samples and medical supplies between clinical laboratories. One such six-month test program in the United Kingdom (UK) has drones quickly and efficiently transporting blood samples between Synnovis’ lab at Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas Hospital through the skies over London.
The medical centers are part of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which has five hospitals, including two of London’s most famous and prestigious teaching hospitals.
NHS partnered with healthcare logistics company Apian and Wing Drone Delivery, a global entity that’s part of Google’s parent company Alphabet, for the six-month drone-delivery trial.
The medical drone service currently delivers blood samples from patients who are at a high risk for complications from bleeding disorders.
Traditionally, delivering blood samples by road between the two locations takes about 30 minutes, depending on traffic. But delivery by drone between the two laboratories takes less than two minutes with the added benefit of decreasing carbon emissions and reducing traffic congestion.
And drone delivery allows for faster analysis of samples, which expedites test turnaround times and helps physicians more quickly determine if patients are safe to undergo surgery.
“This drone trial to deliver blood samples should speed up test results for some of our most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the very best care,” said Lawrence Tallon, deputy chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’, in a news release. “It combines innovations in healthcare with sustainability to give us an NHS fit for the future.”
An NHS drone in flight over London passes by Big Ben. Total flight time is about two minutes, as opposed to 30 minutes by car or courier bike. Click on the photo above to watch a video of the drones in action. (Photo/video copyrights: NHS Guy’s and St Thomas’.)
On-demand Deliveries between Hospital Labs
“Cities like London face a unique challenge. Built vertically but relying on 2D roads, they’re choked by polluting congestion,” commented Alexander Trewby, CEO and co-founder of Apian, in the news release. “Apian’s ambition is to create an autonomous delivery network operating at NHS scale, moving physical items as productively as the internet moves information. If we can pioneer drone delivery here, we can do it anywhere!”
The project is regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and initially started in October of last year as a six-month trial, which ended on April 7. The CAA extended the project’s airspace approval for an additional six months. The NHS project now has an expected end date of October 7, 2025.
“Drones can increase the responsiveness and resilience of healthcare logistics, allowing clinicians to be more productive and patients to get the care they need sooner,” Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian, told Healthcare-in-Europe.com. “An NHS drone delivery network in London, starting with this innovative trial, will provide on-demand, automated and sustainable deliveries, helping the NHS create more efficient models of working [with] our doctors and nurses to deliver the highest quality care for patients.”
The drone service runs Monday through Friday during daylight hours and cannot exceed 40 flights per day. During the first six months of operation, there were around 10 flights per day.
Informing Patient Care Quickly
“Tens of thousands of essential patient samples are analyzed by pathology laboratories across London each week,” said Dominic Harrington, PhD, chief scientific officer at Synnovis, in the NHS news release. “Reducing the time it takes to transport these samples means results are available more quickly to inform best possible patient care.”
The Wing drone used for the service is primarily made of foam, weighs about 11 pounds, and can carry packages weighing a little over two pounds. It cruises approximately 62 miles per hour at a height of around 230 feet above the ground.
The use of drones in healthcare is becoming more popular worldwide and the success of such endeavors is evident. In the future, clinical laboratories may depend on drone deliveries to help facilitate optimal results for patients.
Sophie O’Sullivan, director of future of flight at the CAA, told Healthcare-in-Europe.com, “Innovative trials like this from Guy’s and St Thomas’, Apian, and Wing help demonstrate the many positive and safe ways that drones can be used for society—in this case, to improve patient outcomes and deliver significant environmental benefits.”
—JP Schlingman